David Montgomery’s decisive 1-yard touchdown run in overtime secured a thrilling victory for the Detroit Lions over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Montgomery racked up 91 rushing yards, while his backfield teammate Jahmyr Gibbs contributed 40 yards and found the end zone.
With this win, the Lions improve to 1-0, while the Rams begin the season at 0-1.
Detroit maintained the lead for much of the game, fueled by Gibbs’ effective rushing, a spectacular 52-yard touchdown catch by receiver Jameson Williams, and two field goals from rookie kicker Jake Bates, who was making his NFL debut. Bates kicked a crucial 32-yarder with just 17 seconds left in regulation to take the game into overtime.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards, adding one touchdown and one interception to his stats. While Williams had a standout performance, star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was less impactful, catching three passes for only 13 yards.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a solid outing, completing 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His touchdown pass came late in the fourth quarter, a 9-yard throw to Cooper Kupp that briefly gave L.A. the lead.
Stafford faced challenges in the second half after losing his standout wide receiver Puka Nacua to a knee injury.